Locking hea



T B. THOMAS. LOCKlNG MEANS FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB-11,1916- Pat-ented Aug. 8, 1916.

'THEODORE B. THOMAS, OE QUINCY, MASSACHUSETTS.

LOCKING MEANS FOltAUEOIt/EOBILES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THEODORE B. THoMAs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Quincy, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Looking Means for Automo biles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to locking-means for the steering-gear of automobiles.

The invention has for its object the construction of an improved form of lockingmeans which is very simple and'may be easily and cheaply manufactured, and easily applied to existing machines without the assistance of a machinist or skilled workman; will securely hold the steering-wheel against rotary movement when in looking engagement therewith, and when out of engagement therewith may be held or locked, ii. desired, in another position which will not interfere. with the free movements of the driver.

The device comprises a clamping element adapted to be secured to the steering-post or other fixed support having a screw-eye by which it is held in adjusted position thereon, and a set of links arranged to be extended from said clamping element to and over one of the spokes of the steering-wheel, one of the links of the set being loosely mounted on the shank of the screw-eye, and another link of the set having an eye adapted to receive the eye-portion of the screw-eye, which eye-portion projects therethrough to receive the hook or movable locking-member of a pad-lock.

When the link-members are-not in engagement with the spoke of the steering-wheel, their position may be reversed, although they may be held in fixed position in substantially the same manner as when in locking engagement with the steering-wheel. WVhen thus held they will not interfere with the free movements of the driver.

To prevent rotative' movement of the steering-wheel there should be no slack in the set of links employed and herein the set comprises three links of predetermined lengths loosely connected together, the two end-most links of the set extending from the clamping element to the toppf the wheel spoke, and the intermedlate link extending across the top of the spoke.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a locking Specification of Letters Zatent.

mechanism forthe steering-gear of'an automobile embodying this invention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the locking mechanism Patented Aug. 8, 119%., Application filed February 11, 191 6, Serial nm'mme.

in its locking position. Fig. 3 is an enlarg'ed sectional View on the dotted line 3-3.

10 represents the steering-post or other fixed support, and 12 the steering-wheel. A clamping element is adapted to be arranged on the steering-post which, as here shown, consists of an encircling member 13, having two ears or. cheek pieces 14 and 1'5,which are extended outwardly and in approximately parallel relation. These ears each have a hole through them as 16, 17, which holes are arranged in alinement to receive the shank 18 of a screw-eye, the hole 17 through the ear 15 being threaded for the engagement therewith ofthe threads on the shank of said screw-eye, and the shank of the screweye being made of such. length that its eyeportio-n 19, or head, will engage the outer face of the car 14, so that upon a turning movement of said screw-eye, said cars will be moved toward and from each other, thereby to admit of friotionally binding the encircling member in fixed position on the post. a

The encircling member is made of such length as to embrace the post and also provide a space between the cars 14 and 15, so that in said space a portion of the shank of the screw-eye, is exposed. On said exposed portion of the shank 18 of the screweye one end of a link 20- is loosely mounted, it having an eye for engagement with said shank, and said link is made of a length to span the distance between the clamping element and steeringwvheel and to terminate justabove the top of one of the spokes thereof. The upper end of said link 20 is loosely connected to one end of another or shorter link 21, which is adapted to be extended at right angles thereto and to extend across the top of the spoke. The other end of said shorter link 21 is loosely connected to the upper end of another long link 22, which extends downward substantially in parallel relation with the link 20, and the lower end of said link 22 has an elongated eye 23 adapted to receive the eye-portion 19 of the screw-eye, said eye-portion projecting therethrough far enough to admit of the hook or other movable member 25 of a padlock 26 being thrust therethrough, thus to lock the component parts. It is of importance that the ears, or at least one of them,

shall extend a considerable distance above,

the shank of the screw-eye, so as to form an abutment against which the lower e'nd- 01'- tion of a link 20 will bear, thereby to limit the movement of the link mechanism in one direction. Movement of the link mechanism in the other direction is limited by the link 22, which is held at its lower end by the hook-member of the pad-lock, and at its upper end by the short link 21. For it will be observed that'the outerend of the link mechanism has a tendency to move in the arc of a circle about the clam ing element as a center, while the spoke o' the Wheel has a tendency to move in the arc of a circle about the center of the wheel. The above descrip tion refers to the structure when in locking engagementwith the steering-wheel. When thesteering-wheel is unlocked said linkmechanism may be swung downward into the position shown by dotted lines Fig. 2, and in such position its link 22 may be again arranged on the eye-portion of the screweye, and the pad-lock secured in place as meme? heretofore, thereby looking it in its reversed position. I claim The locking-mechanism for the steering- ,gear of automobiles herein described, con.-

screw-eye between the ears, and the other end-most link of the set having an eye adapted to .receive the eye-portion of the screw-eye, said eye-portion projecting therethrough to receive a pad-lock by which the component parts are locked.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name tothis specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

"EHEQDORE B. THOMAS. Witnesses; B. J. Noyes, v H. B. DAY/Is. 

